Can visible light excite electrons?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on whether visible light can excite electrons, exploring its implications in various contexts such as heating materials, chemical reactions, and phenomena like fluorescence and photovoltaics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that visible light can indeed excite electrons, leading to warming effects.
  • It is suggested that electrons can absorb visible photons, which may result in energy transformation and the emission of another photon of the same frequency.
  • Others argue that re-emission of photons is not guaranteed and depends on the material involved.
  • A participant mentions that materials like glass allow photons to pass through, while black bodies absorb most incoming light and heat up.
  • Film photography is cited as an example where visible light causes a chemical reaction by exciting electrons in silver compounds.
  • Fluorescence is introduced as another phenomenon related to the excitation of electrons by visible light.
  • There is a mention of photovoltaics, where the energy from light is converted into electrical energy, which may complicate the heating effect.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying views on the effects of visible light on electron excitation, with some agreeing on the possibility of excitation and heating, while others emphasize the material dependence and the nuances of photon re-emission. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of these interactions.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on material properties, the conditions under which photons are absorbed or re-emitted, and the specific mechanisms involved in phenomena like fluorescence and photovoltaics.

LogicalAcid
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If so, then that means they can cause things to warm up right?
 
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yes this can happen . The electron can absorb the visible photon.
And you can have other things like Compton scattering.
 
Last edited:
cragar said:
yes this can happen . The electron can absorb the visible photon.
Then turns it into enegy, exites the electrons, and emits another photon of the same frequency
 
It doesn't necessarily have to re-emit the photon depends on the material.
 
cragar said:
It doesn't necessarily have to re-emit the photon depends on the material.

"Depends on the material" ?
 
like glass is transparent so the photons pass through the glass get absorbed and re-emitted among other thing, I think there is a faq on this , Or if i had a black body it would want to absorb most of the incoming light and it would heat up.
 
Good old fashioned film photography relies on visible light causing a chemical reaction to occur. When viewed at a quantum level it is exciting an electron in the silver compounds involved.
 
LogicalAcid said:
If so, then that means they can cause things to warm up right?

except in the case o fphotovoltaics, when the energy is also converted into ellectrical energy.
 

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